


That Which We Forget

by Sweetestlittledarling



Category: Who Killed Markiplier, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: AU, Angst, Bad Humor, Darkiplier Mark Fischbach, Multi, Other, Romance, WKM, Who Killed Markiplier?, warfstache
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-06 07:46:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12812904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetestlittledarling/pseuds/Sweetestlittledarling
Summary: A place where stories meet and find a home. Some from other universes where things are different and some are just stories from the past that don't wish to stay forgotten.(aka my place where I'm dumping all my WKM short stories).





	1. Got Your Back Chief

It all comes down to tonight, election night. All the demanding work that everyone has been putting in has led to this point and you are trying to stay positive, to be the leader that everyone sees you as. Of course, there is that loud part of you that is calling for you to grab the nearest bottle of champagne and hide somewhere until it’s all over, but you fight this urge. You’ve come this far with Damien, you know that you can’t turn back now. Speaking of Damien…Where is he? You look up at all the people around the room, but Damien is not among them. His face is plastered on all the posters in the room, along with his name and the words ‘vote for’, but his actual face is nowhere in sight. Usually, you keep pretty good tabs on the guy and suddenly feel rather guilty that in this hour of immense importance you lost track of him. You begin to ask various people if they know where he’s gone but no one seems to have seen him in a while. You begin to panic a little, wondering how long, in your stressed-out state, have you been neglecting your friend.

No, you must keep a calm head about this.

Then you notice the open patio door

You step out into the cool night air. The sky is clear, and the moon is full, shedding its beautiful light on the world. The world is silent out here, unlike the craziness inside.

And there sitting on a bench is your friend. He is facing away from you, his back tense and head bowed. You approach him silently and realize that he is gripping his cane, a nervous tick he’s had since the day you gave him it to him. Back then he had laughed the gift, asking:

_“How old do you think I am?”_

_“I just thought that it would make you look official,” you said, as you poured the drinks. “I mean if you’re going to be mayor might as well look the part.”_

_“Don’t you think you are jumping the gun just a little?” He had asked. “I mean I haven’t even been voted into office yet, there is a chance I could lose- “_

_“You’re not going to lose Damien! I have faith that the people of this city are going to see how great you are and that you are clearly the best candidate for mayor! It’s like destiny almost!”_

“Is this seat taken?”

Damien looks up at you. You can see the worry in his dark eyes. He nods, sliding over to give you a better seat. You take it, stretching your legs out in front of you. It feels good to sit down. You feel like you’ve been running around all day, which you literally have. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Damien’s hands once again worrying at his cane. You know he’s nervous. Heck, you’re nervous.

“What are you thinking about?” you ask, already knowing the answer.

“It’s nothing.”

“Don’t start that,” you say, nudging his shoulder with your own. “I know you and I know you are under a lot of stress right now. I also know that you would rather stew in that stress then be a burden on anyone, so spill.”

You hear Damien sigh deeply. “Do you really think we can do this, protect the city I mean?”

You purse your lips in thought. Then you look up at the moon. “Nope, we are going to bomb spectacularly. We are going to be the worst pair this town has ever seen, and they are going to run us out of the city with torches and pitchforks. We’ll be the only political duo ever to be run out of town by an angry mob since the days of ye old mayors and that will be the most impressive part.” The terrible joke is worth it to hear Damien laugh, even a little.

“You seriously got a strange sense of humor, old friend,” he chuckles.

“You laughed at it, so I’d say I’m doing something right,” you say, smiling. “So, you want to know what I really think?”

There is a small pause. “Yes.”

“I think we are going to be fine. We’ve done all we can do and whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. I mean at least we got each other so even if we do get run out of town by an angry mob, I can take comfort that I’ll be running with you, or rather faster than you because frankly, I don’t do angry mob.” You hear him chuckle again, and feel a warm feeling in your heart. He really does have a nice laugh, gentle and good-hearted just like the rest of him.

“Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you being here with me?”

“Aww Damien, I do love it when you get all sentimental.”

“I mean it, I really do appreciate that you are my friend and my partner in all this.”

Something in his voice makes you sit up and look at him. You find that he is looking at you as well. You have always said that he really was too handsome for his own good. His eyes are probably one of his best features and the way they are looking at you now make you feel that warmth again. You swear you can feel yourself blush as you smile. “Thank you, Damien, I am glad that you’re my friend too.”

He smiles, and that warmth inside you grows. He turns and looks up at the moon, cane still clutched in one hand. You continue to watch him as he begins to speak, a little mesmerized. “I didn’t have many friends growing up,” he says, “I was shy and meek. I didn’t know how to approach people or how to even begin to ask them to be my friend. Then one day I met two young men who would soon become my best friends, my brothers. We were inseparable from kids, always saying how we would be friends forever. And up until some time ago, I honestly thought that we would be keeping that promise.”

You sense a change in his voice. It’s sort of sad, almost a little regretful. You see the grip on his cane tighten as you listen to his words.

“But then we grew up, and things began to change. I came to realize that I hadn’t been there for them like I should have. I was so focused on my studies and what my father would have wanted for me that I neglected my two dearest friends. And in doing so I missed what was happening between us until it was too late. Now neither of them are speaking, to each other nor to me and I feel like I have lost an important piece of my life that I can’t get back, at least not right now.”

You can tell this is hard for him to talk about and you gently rest your hand on his arm. “Damien,” you say, “you don’t have to tell me anything if this is too hard for you right now.”

He turns to you and smiles. “No, it’s alright,” he says, laying his hand on top of yours, “in all honesty, it feels good to talk about this, especially with you. Because you are also my friend, a dear friend, who has inspired so much inside me. You have helped me in so many ways, and I think I wouldn’t have made it this far if you weren’t there to make me laugh or to tell me that we are going to make it. I know that you are going to think this is silly, but since that first night, at the party, I have felt a greater connection between you and me, a connection that has allowed me to think that we can do what we have dreamt of for so long. I guess what I’m trying to say, in my own silly way is…thank you, for everything.”

For a moment you are stunned at the honestly heartfelt words. You don’t think anyone has ever actually said anything like this to you before. Now you really are blushing as you find yourself smiling. “What can I say,” you say, only tripping a little bit on your words, “I got your back chief.”

You both suddenly jump as there is a loud cheer from inside the room. You look at each other momentarily before quickly making your way back to the door. Everyone inside is sharing champagne and grinning from ear to ear. You know what this means but it doesn’t seem official until someone walks up to Damien, shakes his hand and says:

“Congratulations, Mayor Damien.”

You smirk just a little as you grab a glass of bubbly for the both of you. You can’t help but say it as you hand a drink to Damien. “Called it.”


	2. A Night Changed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Damien, the Colonel, and the DA didn't attend the party that night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I always think that one of the most powerful questions in the world of fanfiction is what if...I mean what if certain characters didn't go to a party where they fated to meet their ends? This was inspired by a Tumblr post where the person suggested that maybe Damien would call and tell the Colonel he was ill and the two of them don't attend the party. At first, I started with that idea but then another what if popped into my head...What if Damien was a seer like his sister and didn't ignore his vision this time? I might continue this as a series because while the characters may not have attended the party does that mean that they are out of harm's way?

             

   It was a relatively nice evening in the city. The sky is overcast, but it’s not too humid. You are dressed up for a party, although currently, you are not going to one. You were supposed to Mark’s estate but after that cryptic call from Damien, your dear friend, and the mayor, you find yourself instead in a cab heading towards Damien’s apartment. You feel worried as you remember the way Damien’s voice sounded on the phone. He sounded…off. In the time you’ve spent with him, you’ve learned to pick up on things, like when there is something going on underneath his words.

              He said that he wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be attending the party, the one he had seemed, up till tonight, happy to be attending. You still had no idea what had happened between the friends, but Damien had seemed hopeful that this would be a fresh start. Just a day ago you would have assumed that hell nor high water would have stopped him from going.

             It’s not long before the car pulls up outside Damien’s building. You pay the cabbie before stepping out onto the sidewalk. You feel a bit overdressed, but in your worried state, you hadn’t thought about changing. The doorman greets you with a smile. He knows you quite well given how many times you have come to see Damien.

             “Have you talked to the mayor today?”

             “I did see him earlier,” he says, with a small nod.

             “And, how was he?”

             “Well, he seemed deep in thought. Nearly didn’t hear me when I told him that the dry cleaners had dropped off his best suit for the party tonight. He thanked me then hurried up to the penthouse. Haven’t seen nor heard from him since then.”

             “I see,” you say, as he opens the door for you, “thank you.”

             As you pass through the lobby you try to think of anything political that might have come up although you would think only a monster attacking the city would have stopped Damien from attending the party. There was some tabloid talk of the mayor being a demon, but that just makes you roll your eyes. Those sleazy reporters really were vultures, especially the ones that make up their stories. You hurry to the elevator.

             “Mayor’s penthouse please,” you say to the man.

             Just as the doors begin to close you hear a booming voice. “Wait! Hold that elevator!” The elevator operator stops the doors just in time for a very interesting fellow to slip in. He was dressed in what you could only describe as safari gear, complete with a pith helmet. He also has a very bristly mustache, which twitches as his nose wiggles a bit. You would have thought him a solider, not only from the stripes on his coat but the way he stands straight at attention beside you. “Penthouse please my good man,” he says.

* * *

 

             Wait…He’s going to the penthouse? Is he going to see Damien as well? Suddenly it hits you.” A colonel…infantry division…” you say remembering what Damien had said.

             “I beg your pardon?” the mustache man, turning to look at you through his spectacles.

             “Oh, sorry,” you say, realizing that not only were you staring but speaking out loud. “I was just…your name wouldn’t happen to be Colonel William Pelt?”

             “Why yes, it is,” he says tilting his head curiously, “but my friends call me the Colonel.” His nose twitches as does his mustache. “Now it would seem that you know quite a bit about me, but I don’t think I know anything about you.”

             “Oh, again very sorry! I’m a friend of Damien’s- “

             “Hmmm!” The Colonel’s suddenly loud humming and scratching of his chin make you pause. He is looking at you in a strange way which is making you feel somewhat uncomfortable. “Wait!” He says suddenly, smiling, “you’re the incredibly gorgeous district attorney that Damien is always raving about in his letters!”

             You feel a sudden burst of heat hit your face. “Wait…what?” Before you have time to think over this the elevator dings and the door opens.

             “Top floor,” the elevator operator announces.

             “After you,” the Colonel says, bowing and sweeping his hand.

             “Oh yes of course,” you say, trying to ignore the smirk on the elevator operator’s face. You’ve tried your best to ignore the building’s staff and their rumors about you’re spending so much time in the mayor’s apartment. The Colonel’s words, you are sure, will be the talk of the entire building. You feel a bit more heat rise to your cheeks, but you ignore it. It’s a short walk from the elevator to Damien’s door and the worry you had earlier comes back to you. “Colonel, did you get a call from Damien as well?”

             “Yes, I did,” the Colonel says as you both come to a stop in front of Damien’s door. “He told me he wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be making the party tonight. As an army man I couldn’t leave a man behind, so I figured I’d better stop by and check up on my old friend…why?”

             “I was just curious if you thought he sounded upset when he called.”

             “You picked up on that too, hmm?”

             You are about to speak again when the door opens and there is Damien, perfect as always in what you recognize is his best suit. He doesn’t look very sick although you are pretty sure that Damien could look perfect even if he were dying. But there is something about the way he looks at you both, like he is relieved to see you. He instantly smiles, eyes brightening. “Dear friends- “He says, clearly meaning to say something else but is interrupted by the Colonel pulling him into a bear hug. You hear Damien let out an audible ‘omf’ as he hugged by the bear of a man.

             “Damien! Man, it has been too long!” The Colonel says.

             It is only a moment later that Damien gather’s his wits again and you see him hug the Colonel back. “Indeed Colonel,” he says, “far too long.” You give them their moment, glad to see two old friends together again. As they break apart, you catch Damien’s eye. “I am glad to see you as my friend. How is the move into the new office?”

             “It’s going well,” you say. “But right now, I think we should be more concerned about you. How are you feeling?”

             “I was having a bit of lightheadedness earlier,” Damien answers, “I think I might have come down a cold. I didn’t mean to worry.”

             The Colonel places his big hand on Damien’s forehead. “Hmmm, no fever,” he says.

             “I swear it’s just a cold, Colonel,” Damien says again, stepping away from the Colonel’s hand. “I will be fine with just some rest and maybe some tea.”

             “And some of my grandmother Hilda’s chicken noodle soup!” the Colonel says as he boldly marches past Damien into the apartment. “Nothing better for the aches then the love of grandmother Hilda!”

             “I don’t want you to have to be subject to my germs,” Damien stutters in his usual polite way.

             “Oh, pish posh!” the Colonel says, with a wave of his hand as he makes his way into the living room beyond, “I have faced a hundred different terrors on the battlefield, a few germs are hardly that scary!”

             Damien looks to you and you shrug. “You’ve taken care of me when I was ill,” you say, a small smile gracing your lips, “so I guess we can call this payback of sorts.” Again, you could swear you see a sort of relief cross Damien’s face, although he does his best to hide it. He steps aside allowing you to enter, closing the door behind both of you. The place has always screamed Damien, grand and well decorated. You’ve come to think of this place as a sort of second home in a way, especially after all the time that you’ve spent there.

As you all enter the living room the Colonel turns on his heel to face the both of you. “Now, if someone will direct me to the kitchen we can get started,” he says.

             “It’s that way,” Damien says motioning to the door that leads to the kitchen, “but please Colonel, don’t go through any trouble for me.”

             “It’s no trouble my dear man!” the Colonel says, a big smile crossing his face. “Besides your rest. You just sit down and relax. The district attorney and I will work together to make quick work of it!”

             “Wait, what?” Did he just mention you in that sentence? “Oh no, Colonel, you don’t want my help!”

             “Why not? Two hands would make the work much lighter!”

             “Because I am a horrible cook! I never learned how to make anything!” And it’s not a lie, you are a terrible cook. You would burn water if that were possible. You spent many nights ordering food or eating out (or eating at Damien’s as he wasn’t much of a cook as well). There is a sudden gleam in the Colonel’s eye that makes you nervous. Without warning, the Colonel grabs you by the hand and drags you off towards the kitchen. “Woah! Hey, wait a minute!”

             “Come on soldier! Time for someone to teach you some basic life skills!”

             “Wait, I’m not a soldier!” You look pleadingly back at Damien, but he just returns your pleas with a look of apology, either not wanting to help or knowing that there was no way to help.

You are pulled into Damien’s kitchen which is pristine as the rest of his home. It also is well stocked with all sort of cooking things that you have never really seen before. For a man who isn’t much of a cook himself, Damien sure has plenty of things in his kitchen you realize. The Colonel marches to the fridge pulling out all manner of vegetables and tosses them onto the counter. “Okay, cadet, start cutting up those carrots,” he says looking to you.

“Colonel, I really got to tell you- “Your words die under the Colonel’s demanding eye. You suddenly feel like you’re in boot camp, and you feel like you are going to have to do pushups.

“Are you questioning me soldier?” he asks, and you feel a chill run down your back.

“No sir!” you say quickly jumping into action. You rush over to the counter and find yourself with carrots, a cutting board, and a big knife. You swallow as you lift the knife in your hand, wondering if you can manage to do this without losing too many fingers. The Colonel must have picked up on your fear as you hear him sigh.

“Okay, watch me,” he instructs taking the knife from you, “you take the carrot like this, cut off the top and then chop like this.” You watch carefully as he makes quick work of the orange veg. “Now you do the same.”

You nod, still a bit nervous as you take up the knife again. It’s a bit tricky at first but soon you are chopping with at least at the speed of a snail. You can’t help but glance over at the Colonel who is going at mock ten, chopping vegetables, filling a pot with water, and chopping chicken. While he is doing all these things, he has such a focus that you can only be in awe of his amazingness.

“Almost done with those carrots cadet?”

“Yes sir!” you say as you quickly get back to chopping. Surprisingly, you manage to chop all the carrots without losing any fingers. You count that as an achievement as the Colonel adds your carrots to the boiling pot. You have to say you feel rather good about the work you’ve done even if the Colonel did most of it. You watch as the Colonel sprinkles in some salt and pepper, stopping to take a little sip.

“Mmm, just like grandmother used to make,” he says approvingly. Suddenly there is a sound of a kettle going off and you realize that during the whole mess of cooking the Colonel managed to also heat some water for tea. He pours some into a mug and then places a tea bag inside. You can smell the gentle min and realize that it’s Damien’s favorite, peppermint. “Here,” the Colonel says handing the mug to you. “Take this to our friend in the other room…” He then leans in close to you and says softly: “…And maybe you can talk to him and see if you can’t get something out of him.”

You nod.

As you walk out of the kitchen you find Damien not sitting on the couch but instead sitting on the window ledge, looking out over the city. He at first doesn’t seem to realize that you are there, and you take a moment to just watch him. He seems to be deep in thought, his handsome brow knitted just a little with his mouth slightly downturned. If you didn’t know better, and you do, you’d say he looks worried.

“Some tea?” you finally say.

Damien looks up and smiles. “Thank you,” he says as he rises. “I hope the Colonel wasn’t too hard on you. He does have the habit of being a bit…eccentric.”

“He’s…a character,” you admit, as you hand him the mug. “but nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“I’m glad. I had always hoped that you would get to meet him. I am sure the more you get to know each other the more you will like each other.” Damien brings the mug to his lips and takes a sip, humming happily. “Delicious.”

You can’t take it anymore. “Okay, enough,” you say, taking the mug from his hands and placing it on the nearby table. You know you should probably wait but… “You are going to talk to me, and tell me what is going on.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Damien, you are not sick. I know you, Damien. I’ve seen you sick and this is not it. So, what is going on?”

Damien’s smile disappears as you speak. You feel guilty for putting that worried look on his face but at the same time, it’s near killing you to think that there is something distressing him that you can’t help with. “Please, old friend, don’t- “

“Does it have something to do with the party? Mark? It’s the only thing I can think of that could possibly upset you like this. I thought you were feeling hopeful about tonight. Did something happen?” You keep trying to watch his face, trying to use your deduction skills to decipher answer. “Please talk to me, Damien! Whatever it is I just want to- “

“Stop!” The word is sharp. It makes you jump a little. You’ve never heard Damien use that tone, at least not with you. It sent a shot right through you and not in a good way. You stand there in shock unsure what to do for a moment.  Suddenly he takes your hands in his, squeezing gently as he looks at you with sadness in his eyes. “Please forgive me,” he says, “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I am very sorry old friend.”

Only once had you ever seen Damien truly angry. It had been a side you had never seen of the usually gentleman and it had been somewhat frightening. It was not a side Damien liked anyone to see and just like now, he had been extremely apologetic. You know it takes a lot for Damien to be pushed to that level and you now feel bad that you were the cause. You let out a breath and squeeze his hands back. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed.”

             A faint smile returns to Damien’s face. “I know it was because you were worried about me, and I greatly appreciate it.”

             “But at some point,” you say, being very serious again, “we are going to talk about whatever it is going on right?”

             You can see the conflict in his eyes but thankfully he nods. “Yes, but not now. Later, I promise.”

             “Ahem!”

             You both jump as you turn your heads and find the Colonel standing in the doorway, carrying a tray with three bowls of soup. He is looking at the both of you with a very sly look on his face.

             It is at that point that you realize that you are still holding Damien’s hands and you feel your face burn as you let go quickly. Damien must have realized the same thing as he too has gone from pale to very red. “Ah Colonel, when did you get here?” Damien asks, stumbling a little with the words.

             “Oh, not long,” the Colonel says stepping into the room and closer to Damien. He gives his friend a small jab in the ribs with his elbow. “Seems you weren’t wrong, old chap, your dear district attorney is a looker.”

             Damien, as his face grows ever redder. “Colonel…please!” he says, voice verging on begging.

             You feel your own face burning as your head is spinning with the idea that Damien, a man you might have a small crush on, might have said those words about you of all people. You are pretty sure if you aren’t careful your heart might just beat out of your own chest.

The Colonel laughs, clearly enjoying the near heart attack he’s caused both of you. “Come on, the both of you, sit down and eat.”

So, you all settle down on the couch, the Colonel sitting suspiciously between the two of you, and start to eat. You put the first spoonful of soup into your mouth and your eyes grow wide. “Wow, this is really good,” you say, unable to believe that you kind of helped make something that tastes this good.

“You have outdone yourself once again Colonel,” Damien says in agreement.

“Yes, once again I am proven to be a brilliant star among men,” the Colonel says with a dramatic flourish. Then with a sly smile, he reaches into his coat. “And our meal will be made even better with this!” He pulls out what appears to be some of Damien’s most expensive alcohol.

“Ooo, I want some!” you say, almost drooling at the sight of the good stuff. You were almost thinking that you weren’t going to get to drink tonight, which was rather sad as you got dressed up and everything.

“I had nearly forgotten I had that,” Damien said, reaching out for the bottle, “here let me- “

“Oh, but you’re sick, Damien,” the Colonel says, pulling the bottle away. “Sick men shouldn’t abide alcohol, it’s not good for them.”

“Yeah, more for us,” you cheer with a little laugh.

“Indeed, my dear!” the Colonel agrees as you grin and share a triumphant high five.

“But- “Damien begins his face looking rather pitiful.

And the Colonel laughs as he wraps an arm around Damien’s shoulders pulling him in close. “Aww, poor man, can’t tell when your old friend is joking with you?”

Damien opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again, and then lets out a little breath. “I have missed your humor Colonel,” he says with a small smile.

…

             Drinks are poured and soon the night dissolves into eating, drinking, and telling stories. You and Damien share the story of college, while Damien and the Colonel share stories of childhood and the military. Some of it was embarrassing, even for you, and there is quite a lot of laughing at the past. You find yourself learning more about Damien, and in that the Colonel, then you ever thought you would. At some point, the cards come out, and suddenly you are forced to defend your title as the ruler of poker land. Sitting on the floor, you smile as you once again lay out your amazing hand, and collect your chips.

             The Colonel, sitting next to you, gapes. “How?”

             “You see but you do not observe,” you say, still smiling as you stack your chips into nice little piles.

             “I told you, Colonel,” Damien chuckles, “our dear district attorney is a master at poker. We should probably be glad we aren’t playing for money or we both would be very poor.”

             The Colonel humps as takes a sip of his drink before leveling you with a seething look. “Well, I demand one more game! I will beat you yet!”

             “Oh, you aren’t ready to give up yet colonel?” you ask, your smile becoming only slightly evil.

             “As a military man, I don’t know the meaning of giving up!”

             “Well then, I will be back to once again to crush you,” you chuckle, as you get to your feet, taking a moment to stretch, “right after I use the restroom. If you gentlemen will excuse me for a moment.”

             You have to say for a night that didn’t go the way you had expected, you certainly are enjoying yourself. Damien and the Colonel are truly great people to spend an evening in with. You do feel a little bit guilty not going to Mark’s party, but if you are honest with yourself, the only reason you were going to said party was to be with Damien.

             You finish in the bathroom quickly and walk back towards the living room. As you approach you hear Damien and the Colonel talking. The topic of the conversation makes you stop just before the door, listening curiously.

             “I think that you are right about that district attorney of yours,” the Colonel says, his voice booming, “they certainly are something else.”

             “I’m am glad that you think so,” Damien says. “I knew the both of you would be good friends if you just were to meet.”

             “And if I didn’t know better, old man, I would say that maybe you had a bit of a crush on your dear college pal!”

             You feel your cheeks burn as you hear Damien sputter. “Colonel, please, stop!”

             “What? With how you rave about them in your letters I would have assumed that you were dating them already! I mean what is stopping you? Take it from me, Damien, you have to jump on these things now or face the possibility of losing them forever…”

             There is a moment of heavy silence. You can feel it even from your position by the door. You feel awful for listening in but for some reason, you can’t bring yourself to just walk in. You carefully lean your head around the corner and see the Colonel and Damien sitting side by side on the couch, both looking solemn. “Have you heard from Celine?” Damien asks, breaking the silence but not the heaviness of the air.

             The Colonel says nothing, just shakes his head.

             Damien sighs, laying a hand on the Colonel’s shoulder. “I know my sister, and she will be found when she wants to be found. But she cares for you Colonel, she will come back when she is ready.”

             The Colonel sighs deeply hands balled on his lap. “I wish I could believe you, Damien, truly I do. But after what happened I fear my dear cardinal has decided to disappear forever.”

             Celine? Wait are they talking about Damien’s sister? You know very little about Celine, having only heard about her a hand full of times from Damien. You had noticed that it was hard for Damien to talk about his family, so you had left it alone, but it had always made you curious. What had happened to all of them. You knew at one point they had all been friends, but then something…

             “I’m sorry, William,” Damien says, his tone regretful. “I had hoped when Mark had purposed that we all get together again that maybe…maybe we would finally be able to put all this behind us. That maybe we could find some forgiveness and try to become somewhat like we were.”

             “I don’t think that is possible,” the Colonel says, suddenly.

             “Colonel- “

             “Damien, the words that were said that night…some of them can’t be taken back. The anger and the rage, it’s not easily forgotten. Which is why I was surprised when I got the invitation. Truly I thought that Mark would have been much happier if he had never seen my face again.” The Colonel looks down at his hands, still balled into fists on his lap. “I was afraid, truly afraid, to see him again. After what I’d down… after what WE had done, I didn’t think that I could look him in the eyes.” He barked out a bitter laugh as he continued. “I have faced many a foe on the battlefield but truly I have not faced a worse foe then this. When you called tonight and told me you weren’t going I realized that I couldn’t face him alone, not without you.” The Colonel raises his head to look at Damien, a small smile on his face. “I have missed you, Damien.”

             Damien smiles gently as he wraps an arm around the Colonel’s shoulders, pulling him in close. “And I you William. It has been far too long.”

             You feel a bit guilty now, listening in on this private conversation. You step around the doorway and into the room, making your presence known. “So, Colonel,” you say, acting like you hadn’t heard anything, “ready for me to beat you again?”

             Damien chuckles as he stands. “While you two battle it out I am going to go grab us some more drink,” he says as he walks past you towards the kitchen. “I think I have some vintage wine given to me as a birthday. Seems like an appropriate time as any to dig it out.”

             “Sounds good to me,” you say flashing him a smile before turning back to the Colonel. “As I said Colonel are you ready to lose to me again? We can even make this a little more interesting, since we are probably going to be staying here tonight how about the winner of the next game gets the couch for the night?”

             There is a new gleam in the Colonel’s eye as he rises to meet your gaze. “You’re on.”


	3. The Night We Met

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are many stories on how the District Attorney met the Mayor. This is one...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this has been an idea I had for a while. It's kind of how I see this happening in my own universe. It's just a little happy piece to keep us believing in good things. Also Dawson as Damien's last name, I give this credit to @punknerdmusing on Tumblr.

         You are honestly hating life right now.

             You don’t even know why you’re here. You could be at home working on your homework but no you had to allow yourself to be dragged out to a party with some of you so-called ‘roommates’, whom, once you had arrived, decided that they were better off without you. So here you are, standing by the bar, alone. At least you have a drink, not that it helps much. You sigh as you look around at all the people having an enjoyable time, chatting and laughing. They make it look so easy. Of course, most of them are from the city and most of them have money. You, on the other hand, are not from the city, and while your family isn’t poor you are pretty sure that they won’t ever be joining the yacht club. You feel like an outsider, and it’s not a new feeling either. You’ve been feeling this way ever since classes started. All those hopes you had before coming, of doing important things and helping people, are starting to feel like lost causes now. And there is that small feeling inside, which you keep trying to trample down, that your parents were right, you should have just gone to a small local school.

             Then you see him. Oh, great if the night couldn’t get any worse, it’s Damien Dawson. Mr. Perfect himself is here. You are going to be sick if you must watch all the girls (and a lot of the guys) fawn all over him. Jeeze, what’s so great about him? Sure, he has his fantastic hair and his brilliant smile…Wait, is he looking at you? You quickly look away, trying to act like you didn’t notice. Is he calling your name? Fuck! Out of the corner of your eye, you see him coming over. Double fuck! If you didn’t have enough problems now you have to deal with-

             “Hey, I’m glad that I finally caught up with you,” Damien says as he comes to stand beside you at the bar. “I wanted to talk to you after our political science class, but you disappeared.”

             Political science? Oh yeah, Mister Dougal’s class. The one that most of the class sleeps through (because the ancient Dougal can hardly get through a class himself without falling asleep) and the other half of the pompous asses’ snickers through like a bunch of idiots. They are paying for their A’s anyway so what does it matter to them. You had to give a speech in that class the other day, about how one could help fix the influx of crime in the city. You thought you had done a respectable job, spending lots of time on research and presentation…Just to have it laughed at by the assholes who claimed the best way to deal with crime is just to lock everyone up. Yeah, that was not a wonderful day. “Yeah, didn’t feel much like hanging around,” you said bitterly, still not looking in Damien’s direction, “didn’t want to give the cackling hyenas more to laugh at.”

             “I can understand, they were rather rude.”

             You roll your eyes. “There is the understatement of the year.”

             “I just wanted to tell you that I actually thought your paper was actually very inspiring.”

             You pause, blink and then turn to look him in the face. He’s smiling at you.  He looks like he’s telling you the truth, but you can’t be sure. That nagging feeling of doubt comes coursing back as you remember who you are talking to. Damien, the perfect rich boy, who could probably have anything he wanted unlike you the scrub. “Look, you don’t have to patronize me I get it!”

             Damien looks surprised. “I wasn’t trying to- “

             “I know that this entire school thinks I’m just the small time from a small town who doesn’t get how things work! But I will tell you something mister perfect,” You point a finger directly at his face and he looks rather startled. “I might not have a lot of money nor do I have a great hair that I bet you woke up with! But there is one thing I do have and that is determination! I will get through college, get my law degree, and so help me, become the district attorney of this city so that I can actually show party boys like you just what I am capable of!” You jerk your arm back in a flourish…which ends up knocking into the glass of the big guy behind you, sending his drink all over the floor.

             “That was my drink!” he says glaring at you.

             You are about to say something when Damien steps between you two. “It was an accident, sir! Please let me buy you another.”

             Oh no he didn’t! You grab Damien by the arm and pull him back. “I don’t need you to protect me!” you snap, before turning to the big guy, who by the way he is tottering back and forth is clearly drunk. “You got a problem?”

             “Yeah, I got a problem with your face,” he says as he brings his fist round towards said face. Luckily you are not quite as drunk as him and you manage to dodge. Bringing your own fist around you manage to hit him in the nose. He stumbles back, clutching his face but not down. He growls as he charges again, but you manage to sidestep him sending him into flying into some nearby tables, crushing them. When he doesn’t get up again you feel ramped up! You feel powerful! You wonder who is going to challenge you next!

             Then you feel the hand on your arm. “That was- “

             You whip around and bring your right hook…right into Damien’s perfect face. He tumbles onto his perfect behind as you suddenly realize what your rage has done. You just punched the school’s most popular guy. “Oh shit!”

…

             A brief time later you are handing Damien some ice wrapped in a handkerchief as he sits out on the terrace in the night air. “Thank you,” he says, smiling a bit as he looks at you. “How does it look?”

             You wince as you can already see his usually perfect eye swelling into a big puffy mess. “Well in good news, you are only 10 percent less attractive now,” you say with a nervous smile, “so you are about 90 percent still attractive which is still better than half the people here.”

             Damien laughs, wincing himself as he carefully places the ice on his eye. “Maybe you could hit me in the other eye, make it match,” he says with a small chuckle.

             “Yeah, I think I’ll pass. I think your fan club will already hate me for one eye. I can only imagine what they will do if I knock out two.” You rub the back of your neck nervously, as you stand there. “Look, I’m sorry for hitting you. It was in the heat of the moment and what not…”

             “It was an accident,” Damien says, smiling. “It happens.” With his open hand, he motions to the place beside him. “Please, sit down.” When you hesitate he continues? “I’m not mad and I’m not going to sue you. Please, I just want to talk.”

             A part of you still wants to run, but you figure you owe the guy after hitting him so you sit. It’s actually a pretty good night out. The moon is full, big and beautiful in the warm night air, lighting everything in a kind of silvery glow. “Did you really think my paper was good?”

             “Yes,” Damien answers without hesitation. “It was very well thought out, with great ideas, and you spoke with such passion that I believed that you meant every word of it. It made me want to believe in what you were saying as well.”

             “Yeah well, it seems you were the only one who thinks so,” You sigh, still gazing up at the moon. “I wish I had your power. You speak, and everyone listens. It’s like you have this power over them or something.”

             You hear Damien chuckle at that statement. It sounds almost bitter. “I think that is because they believe I am someone who matters. But the truth is I don’t…”

             You look at him in surprise. “How can you say that? You are the son of the greatest mayors this city has ever known! Plus if that wasn’t good enough your family is one of the wealthiest in the entire city.” Now it’s Damien’s turn to look at you in surprise as you quickly turn a little red. “Not that I look that stuff up mind you, it just something I heard!”

             “It’s alright,” Damien says with a smile. Lowering the ice to his lap he looks up to the sky. “The thing is, that right now I’m my father’s son, which is great. I love my father and I have always tried my best to be a man he would want me to be. But at the same time…I want to be more. I want people to look at me and not see my father but see a man who is great because of who I am. I want to be more than my father’s name.”

             You take a moment, taking in his words. Looking at him you would have never thought he felt this way. You nod, looking up at the sky again as well. “I think I know how you feel,” you say. “Growing up in a small town I was always told is better to think small, stay at home and not try to change things. When I told my parents that I was going to college in the city they nearly forbade me from going. They think that it’s a waste of time and I should just go home, take a job in an office or something. But ever since I was a kid I have always felt this drive, this hope that I could do more. So here I am, a little person in a big city, trying to do just that.” You feel a hand on your shoulder and you turn.

             Damien is smiling at you. “I believe that you can do wonderful things, my friend,” he says.

             You smile back. “Thank you. I think you can too.”

…

             Hours later you are still sitting on the terrace with Damien, talking about anything that comes to mind. You find it’s easy to talk to him, and he has a great laugh. By the time you two realize what has happened, most of the party guests have gone home with only a few stragglers left behind. Your roommates clearly are nowhere to be found, which is not so surprising. Damien flashes you a smile. “Can I walk you home?”

             You laugh as you jokingly fan yourself with your hand. “Why sir, that would be very gentlemanly of you!” It’s a good thing that it’s a nice night and that it’s not a long walk to the campus. Your kind of sad now that it’s not a bit longer. You get to chat with him a bit more but soon you are at your dorm and you know this is where this magical night must end. “I’m sorry,” you suddenly blurt out, standing beside Damien on your stoop. “I’m sorry that I judged you before getting to know you.”      

             “It’s alright,” he says with that same sweet smile, “I am just glad that we did get to know each other because I feel like I made a dear friend here tonight.”

             You feel a blush rise to your cheeks as you smile. “Me too,” you say. “Hey, you wanna, I don’t know, maybe grab a coffee tomorrow or something?”

             “I would like that. Goodnight friend.”

             “Goodnight Damien.” You watch as he walks down the street, smiling a little as you feel better then you have in a long while. You hear whispering above and realize your roommates are probably watching from the window. You wonder if they heard you talking to Damien, the most popular guy in school. You smile as you turn and unlock the door. You probably will keep your new friendship close to your heart but at the same time…a little smooshing in the face of those backstabbing jerks wouldn’t be too bad either.


End file.
